


Sprinkles

by Strangerthingsprobably



Series: Spring [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, I just love when seasons change, Ice Cream, Spring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 11:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10616094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangerthingsprobably/pseuds/Strangerthingsprobably
Summary: Spring is finally here and the boys are eager to take El to the greatest ice cream shack in Indiana





	

The local ice cream shack opened the first week of Spring and the boys were ecstatic. It was a well-known fact that Sprinkles Ice Cream Shack had the best ice cream in Indiana, not that boys would actually know considering they rarely left the little town. Regardless, when Dustin, Mike, and Lucas biked over to The Byers’ that Saturday morning, they realized they had arrived an hour early. Sprinkles didn’t open until 11 and it was 9:45.

So they sat in the Byers’ living room watching cartoons and recounting the more exciting ice cream trips of the past. Such as the year Barb learned she was more lactose intolerant than she initially thought or the day the ice cream machine was down so instead they feasted on coney dogs and snow cones.

The most impressive story, however, was the time Will actually beat Dustin in the end of the year ice cream eating contest. Dustin was still bitter about his loss claiming his brain freeze for the better of him. Turns out Will has a sweet tooth that could rival El’s.

At 10:45 the boys leapt to their feet and bounded onto the lawn. Lucas, Will, and Dustin shot off immediately, their feet barely touching the ground before they sped down the gravel drive. Mike, of course, had waited for El to assume her normal spot on the back of his bike, her arms wrapping around his waist when he boosted himself on. He still blushed every time she grabbed him, never quite used to the fact that she no longer gripped hesitantly at the sides of his shirt like when they first met, but instead embraced him, sometimes even leaning her head on his back when she was tired. 

Finally, Mike and El caught up with their friends but they were too excited to tease them for taking so long. The heat from the sun on his dark mop of hair caused a few beads of sweat to trickle down his neck. Eleven observed the little droplets twinkle in the light before disappearing under the collar of his striped shirt. 

When they arrived, the gang insisted El try every flavor until she found a favorite. When she decided on mint chocolate chip, she was about to put a crisp five-dollar bill down to pay, hoping it was enough, when the boys hurriedly pushed her hand away and dumped all their change on the counter, getting her the biggest size available. 

As the young man behind the counter, probably Jonathan's age, scooped six full clumps of ice cream onto the waffle cone, El’s eyes went wide. It was nearly as big as her head! Will snickered at her, licking his own cone, vanilla with sprinkles, as she turned her head entirely on it’s side to try and dent the monstrous mint giant.

The party sat on the curb just outside the shop and watched cars go by while enjoying their frozen treats. Dustin got his favorite, Rocky Road in a cup. As usual, while he ate, he made sure to leave all the little clumps of marshmallows in a pile for his final scoop. He claimed he was saving the best for last. Lucas went with the Midwest classic; a double scoop of Superman in a cone. And Mike preferred Moose Tracks in a cup. 

At first, no one seemed to notice El’s mint chocolate chip goatee that was growing larger by the second, not even Mike who usually never took his eyes off of the girl. He and Dustin were too busy debating the merits of bean vs. beef chili hot dogs to notice 

When Lucas turned his head toward her, he bit back laughter. He spoke up, gaining the attention of the boys, and pulled out a classic joke. 

“Hey El,” he snorted, “you’ve got a little something right here.” He pointed to his chin, insisting just a tiny speck of ice cream had dribbled onto hers. El furrowed her brows and stretched her tongue to reach it, only to make an even bigger mess.

“Yeah, you got it,” Lucas laughed as Dustin and Will joined in. El looked at Mike, confused as to what was so funny, but he just chuckled to himself.

“It’s nothing El,” he shook his head. “I’m gonna go get us some napkins. I’ll be right back.”

When Mike returned he was greeted by a jaw-dropped Dustin, a worried Will, and a head-shaking Lucas. He looked to Eleven, confused as to what he walked up to when he noticed her cone not in her hand. Down at her feet, her ice cream lay in a bubbling puddle, cone sticking out the top like a unicorn horn. 

Her lip quivered slightly despite doing her best to hide her feelings. 

"What happened, El?"

"I... I tipped it too far," she said. Her voice, barely above a whisper. 

Will spoke up for her. "She tried to lick some ice cream off her hand but turned the cone too much and before any of us could do anything, it was on the ground."

It wasn't even the ice cream that upset her, it was that her friends spent their money on her and she wasted it. She couldn't even catch it with her mind, it had happened so fast.

"Oh... I'm sorry El," he frowned. The boys nodded in solace behind me. "Well, why don't we get you a little cleaned up," he said, hoping it would take her mind off it. 

After he helped wipe the ice cream from her cheeks and chin, they sat back down on the curb, far from the puddle of mint that was now leaking onto the street. El rested her head on Mike's shoulder, sighing. She kicked a loose stone with her shoe while she waited for everyone to finish their snacks, irritated with herself for her silly mistake. Mike obviously sensed her disappointment. Taking one last little scoop of his Moose Tracks, savoring the peanut butter cup he captured, he returned his spoon back into the slowly melting mound and held it out in front of El. 

Mike had come to know El's expressions very well since she wasn't much of a talker. When she looked up at him with curious eyes, he simply nodded, knowing she was asking, in her own way, if it was for her. El smiled shyly at him and twirled the spoon in her fingers. 

They sat there on the curb like that for what felt like hours simply basking in the spring breeze. Every few minutes El would offer Mike a spoonful of ice cream which he always gratefully accepted, despite his friends going into hysterics every time they witnessed this. He always blushed when she brought the spoon up to his lips and his heart fluttered when she playfully wiped some on his nose when he leaned win once. Without needing to say it out loud, they knew that neither one of them could wait for what new adventures awaited them this spring.


End file.
